DirecTV Hopes HITN-TV Is a Hispanic Hit

7/11/2004 5:00 PM Eastern

By: By Linda Moss

DirecTV Inc. is adding Hispanic public-television network HITN-TV to its lineup Aug. 16, according to officials.

The Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network Inc.-owned service will be available on DirecTV’s “Para Todos” tier and to all of the direct-broadcast satellite provider’s subscribers with 18- by 20-inch multi-satellite dishes. The Spanish-language service will be carried on channel 438.

The move brings HITN’s distribution to 12.5 million subscribers, up from roughly 10 million homes.

HITN already had affiliation agreements and carriage with Time Warner Cable and EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network, according to chief operating officer Richard Taub. Time Warner carries the programming in New York, and the MSO will launch it in its Kansas division Aug. 1, Taub said.

The programming service is also close to announcing carriage deals with two other MSOs.

HITN’s program schedule includes community and cultural affairs, immigration updates, personal-finance advice, health news, original documentaries and the arts.